Here we are making gingerbread men cookies.  I know we are grown, and have no kids around, but we love doing this every year in December.  

 

Yesterday was a rainy day, so we made our gingerbread men cookies and listened to Christmas music.  Yes, there was also wine involved.  ;)

What a fun thing to do on a rainy day.  Oh, yeah, here is the result:  we made about 80 cookies, less the broken ones, which we ate!!!  

 

 

Next cooking project:  Momma's cheese biscuits.

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

 

We are keeping our fingers crossed:  it might snow tonight.  

 

So we went down and painted over Santa and added the giant snowman hat that Patty made.  

 

If it snows, our snowmen will be there to watch it fall.  If it doesn't, then we still have snowmen.

 

HAPPY WINTER!!!

 

Hoping you all have a happy New Year.  

 

Love, Gerry and Jon

 

Not sure what it looks like in your part of the world, but this is the view from midway up the mountain.  Doesn't look much like fall yet.

 

Usually by the third week of October, we are seeing more fall color.  I'm not comparing years, because to do that I'd have to keep better records.  But I do know that the leaf-peepers usually show up for the third weekend of October.  

 

I'll keep you updated on Fall in our mountains.

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

 

I don't know how often you get to the top of Five Forks Dr., but you really should go up there.  

 

We walk the loop almost every day, and this is our reward for making it to the top.  This is looking south toward Georgia, and you can see Lake Nottely at about  3 o'clock in the picture.  

 

I love sharing the views of our beautiful neighborhood with you.

 

HAPPY MONDAY!!!

 

Nothing here from the garden;  just another fun cooking project.  Nothing like rainy days to get our kitchen hopping.

 

This is a roasting pan full of Chex Mix.  I know there are tons of recipes out there, but ours is definitely the best, to us!!!  Momma didn't particularly like it, cause we use "too much" Old Bay, but we like it this way.  

 

I'll add this version to the recipe section.  

 

HAPPY COOKING!!!

 

We can really make a mess in the kitchen.  But we have so much fun doing it, that we don't mind the clean-up process.  

 

This is just the stove part.  I'm not even going to show you the island.  It is a total wreck.  Don't care!!  

 

We love this part of gardening:  preserving the best of our efforts.  Come winter, we will have forgotten about all those hours planting, watering, and weeding, and will be grateful for our time spent preserving.  And enjoying our delicious tomato soup.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Our daily walks always provide great photo ops.  This day, it was the fog.

 

We were just past the resting rock, nearly at the top of the mountain, when I took this picture.  When we reached the top, the fog was below us, and it was perfectly clear.  Strange.  And wonderful.  

 

HAPPY HIKING!!!

 

 

 

 

Here we are:  at it again!!  We changed the display to Flags and Fireworks.  We got it done in time for Juneteenth and it will stay up through the Fourth of July.   (That's Patty and me trying to hide our grubby works clothes behind Uncle Sam's hat.)

 

We hoped to just give the flamingos a rest, and bring them back after the Fourth, but the haybale is too tired.  (It has been on this hill since last fall.)  So we asked Mike to get George to take it away.  He loves any excuse to play on his tractor.  

 

Funny story:  After we got it all done and came home, we were out in the garden and heard George and his tractor driving up Stonebriar.  I ran across our yard and through Dan and Lisa's yard to try to catch George to tell him we didn't need him to pick up the haybale yet, cause we had it covered with the bunting.  But he was on his way to meet Jim and Mike down there.   So I guess the haybale is gone now, and our display is a bit different.  

 

I hope it still makes you smile when you go past it.  

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

 

Even though this picture is from last December, it looks like the perfect Fathers Day entry.  

 

This is what Fathers Day looks like at our house. I hope your house is as loving and peaceful.  

 

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!